Less Than Ten Minutes
by cici.mel1978
Summary: A lot can happen in less than ten minutes. You could save the world. Lose a friend. Or even show a side of yourself no one's seen before. Prequel to "Three Fingers"


**Disclaimer** : I do not own TMNT or anything to do with TMNT.

 **A.N :** So I gave myself a list of story prompts and quotes. While also listing stuff some of my reviewers asked to see. This is one of those quotes I had listed. The style is different than my usual but I thought it would be interesting. This one doesn't have a beta so hopefully its free of errors but if you find some, let me know. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcomed as always. Please enjoy the story!

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"Mikey! You broke it! Just...get out!"

The door to the lab slammed, and Mikey nearly jumped before staring at it. He looked at the door that slammed in his face. It wasn't the first time. He looked down at a plate that smacked onto his plastron from where the door hit. Food on the floor. Some on him.

He had been excited. He looked at the door again. The one that slammed in his face.

"Mikey ya in the way!"

"Oof!"

He looked up at Raph. His arms crossed and looking down at him with a scowl. The floor was hard. Just as hard as the other times. It wasn't harder. Still the same floor. The same Raph. The same push. But he was just staring and looking up.

""Can ya stop bein' an idiot for two seconds and not be in the way?" Raph snorted and walked past him, but Mikey just sat there. On the floor. Same floor. And that was the same Raph. He'd been pushed before. It wasn't the first time.

And now the plate was on the floor. Nothing could be saved from it now. The plate on the floor. That hard floor. The same hard floor from the other times. He looked downward, seeing two feet come closer and he looked up again.

"Mikey? Why are you on the floor?" Leo frowned, his hand came out, but Mikey just stared at it before Leo sighed and just grabbed his arm pulling him up. "Did you fall? Look at this mess...we just cleaned this place. You can't keep messing stuff up Mikey…"

Leo's hand went to his shoulder. It was warm. Comforting. The same hand as always. The one lifting him up. Just one green hand. Three fingers like his. Doing things he couldn't. Not making messes. The same Leo as always. The same lecture. It wasn't the first time.

"Try to stay out of trouble, okay? We have to patrol in a bit." Leo smiled and walked off. But Mikey stood there. Feet still on the same hard floor. Same place where the plate fell. Same place where the mess was made. Same place where the door slammed in his face.

"Woah...look at the mess."

Mikey heard the laugh and then a snort after. He looked at the turtle with a red mask pass with the teen with hockey mask pass. Both passing him by. One laughing. One snorting. Same old Casey.

""Just somethin' Mikey still ain't cleaned up. Ya think he was two."

"Aw. Ya know ya love ya baby bro."

"Shut up Jones!"

And same old Raph.

The door slammed. Just like the door from before. The lab door that slammed in Mikey's face. The one now to his side. No longer in front of him. He couldn't stare at it like before. He stared at the mess on the floor. Leo didn't make messes.

"Mikey!"

It was a squeal. Happy and full of laughter as Mikey was squeezed. Hugged tight before April fell back laughing.

"What is all this?" her hands brushed over a shirt. A shirt with the same stuff on Mikey's plastron. The same stuff on the hard floor. The same stuff making the mess. "I'm pretty sure Donnie can get it out. You really shouldn't stand right there, you might get in the way" She patted his shoulder, smiling.

She opened that door. The one to Mikey's side. He heard laughter behind it. Happiness. Joy. Then the door closed. Soft. Not slammed. A soft click.

He couldn't look. Not at the door that didn't slam. No feet to check coming his way. No one came. Just his own feet. On that hard floor. An easy path. Raph never got in the way. People got out of his.

He turned. And there was that door. The one that didn't slam. Not like it slammed the first time. He walked past it. Stopping in the room with the TV. The one with the movies. The games. The kitchen was right next to it.

The kitchen where he first had the plate. The plate he fixed. The plate he made. There were two. He saw the second one. On the table. Not a mess like the other. Not on the hard floor. That one was still there. On the table. One for him. The other for his brother.

He looked back at the TV. Blank. Staring out. Nothing there until you turn it on. Until someone watches it. Then it shows you stuff. Shows you what you want to see.

He moved again. Sitting on the couch. It was soft. Softer than that hard floor. A remote in hand. Same three fingers as Leo's. As Raph's. As Don's.

The power button was pressed. Another remote grabbed. A different power button pressed as the screen flickered. "Press Start" displayed on the screen. He pressed it. Soon had the guy on the screen moving.

He moved. He jumped. He made choices. All the blue ones. He cracked jokes with the alien on the screen. They were best friends. He kissed the alien with no face. Her picture was on the nightstand now.

The mission was done. It was suicide. But no one died. Everyone smiled. Mikey's character did everything right. Nothing was in his way. And no slamming doors. Mikey was the character right now.

"Mikey?"

He jumped and looked at the screen. It was just a character again, and he dropped the controller. Looking back at his brother. The one that slammed the door. After he knocked into something. After he made the meal exactly right.

The one for them. The only time Mikey got with his big brother was missions or training. Other times he was with April. He didn't see him anymore.

The purple-masked turtle looked at him. Mikey looked back. His brother stood there on that hard floor. And Mikey dropped the game controller to the side.

"I saw the mess on the floor. Didn't Leo say to get that up? No jokes today?" Don smiled. It was like nothing happened. It had only been a few minutes.

Mikey stared at his brother and let out a deep breath. ""I'm tired…"

"Of playing video games all day?" Don laughed, but Mikey just continued to stare. At the brother who started it all.

"Of smiling when I'm not happy."


End file.
